Without a doubt, Warner Brother's team-up with DC Comic has created some of the best super-hero animated series to ever hit TV screens. The show that started it off was the superlative "Batman: The Animated Series", which I have written about countless times in reviews for all of the websites I write for. It still stands as the benchmark (as much as I hate using corporate euphemisms) of what a superhero animated series should be. Everything from the style of the animation to the stories to the perfect voice casting, came together to create something unmatched to this day. (The full series is now available on DVD, and I highly recommend it, by the way.)

But I'm here today to talk about a different series that benefited from what was done right, even to the point of carrying over the voice casting of Kevin Conroy as Batman. The series is, of course, "The Justice League." Created for Carton Network back in 2001, the series is now in its 3rd season (but changed its name to "Justice League Unlimited" in that season), and brought together Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, J'onn J'onzz and Hawkgirl to form the team known in comic books as "The Justice League of America." Previously, we had a similar incarnation back in the 70's called "Super Friends", but where that series fell prey to the campy style that was so pervasive in comics at the time, this new series took things much more seriously.

What little humor could be found here came mostly in the glib one-liners spouted by the Flash, but other than that it was all action. I still remember seeing all the promos for the first episode (which was in 3-parts) and I could not wait for the first night it was going to air. I kicked back, ready to be impressed and at first… I'll have to admit I was a little less so. This first episode brought the heroes together to tackle an alien invasion with a storyline ripped directly out of "War of the Worlds." That was my first complaint. I wanted something a little more original to start the series off with a bang. Then there was the matter of voice casting. I was thrilled to hear Kevin Conroy as Batman, but I had a real problem with George Newbern as Superman. For some reason his voice just sounded to… weak… to be coming from the Man of Steel. He sounded a little more like the Man of Aluminum. The other voices were perfect however, Michael Rosenbaum (The Flash), Carl Lumbly (J'onn J'onnz), Phil LaMarr (Green Lantern), Susan Eisenberg (Wonder Woman) and Maria Canals (Hawkgirl) all did a great job with the voiceover work, but Newbern just didn’t work for me. So much so that it made me cringe every time he spoke.

That said, I opted to keep watching the series to see if I would be any more impressed. Happily, not only did the series get better, but it got so much better that Newbern's voice work no longer bothered me. (To his credit, he really did start to do a better job as the series wore on eventually growing into the role.) All of the episodes were a half hour, but they were in 2 parts so in essence all the stories were an hour long. This made for some great stories, some of which were adapted and updated from some of the comic books I read as a kid.

Over time, the series not only got better (as I mentioned), but it began to change a little during the 3rd season. The title was changed to "Justice League Unlimited" and the membership roster was expanded in order to include a lot more than just the core heroes. We were treated to the likes of Green Arrow (a favorite of mine as a kid), Zatanna, Black Canary, Atom, Elongated Man, Supergirl, Dr. Fate, and even Jonah Hex (another fave of mine…even if he wasn't a superhero). They also stopped making 2 part episodes, which was the only step backwards I thought they made, but admittedly there were times that Cartoon Network wouldn't air them in the right order and it was hard to keep up.

Warner Brothers began releasing the Justice League episodes in small DVD sets, each with its own 2-part episode. I didn’t really think this was a very good idea, and certainly did not want to spend that much money to collect an entire season's worth of episodes. But this year, the announcement was made that they were finally going to release a full first season set (as was the case with "Batman Beyond" - but more on that in another review). This was the news that holdouts like me longed for while those who bought the earlier releases dreaded.

When I received the set, I was pleased to see that my wife was just as excited about watching the episodes as I was (she usually rolls her eyes) and we set off on our little Justice League adventure. It took a couple of days to get them all in, but it was worth the ride. I had missed a few of the episodes in this season due to Cartoon Network's schedule, so I was glad to catch what I had not seen. One episode in particular stands out, and I think is one of the most interesting of the season. "Legends", finds The Flash, Green Lantern, J'onn J'onnz and Hawkgirl transported to another dimension where they meet superheroes from the past. Not to get into too many spoiler details, the way the story plays out is fascinating and extremely well-written.

Another thing I found most interesting about the episode was what went on behind the scenes when it was being written. Originally the writers wanted to use the Justice Society characters from Golden Age DC comics, but DC opted not to give them permission. So they had to create a different group, The Justice Guild, and populate it with characters based on the ones they wanted to use. The Golden Age Green Lantern became the Green Guardsman, Golden Age Flash became Streak, Golden Age Atom became Tom Turbine, etc…

Along with the 26 episodes in this set, Warners opted to include some nice extra features. There are commentaries on 3 of the episodes (listed below), all of which offer some great insight into the creation of the series, as well as the writer's reverence for the characters. There is also some footage of a panel discussion by the creators, a look at some of the design of the characters, storyboards and an early promo for the series.

Warner Brothers has been releasing some great sets for its animated superhero line, and the one for the 1st season of "Justice League" lives up to expectations. I understand there are already planes for subsequent seasons to be released and all I can say is, "Bring 'em on!!"

Episodes:
Secret Origins, Part 1
Secret Origins, Part 2
Secret Origins, Part 3
In Blackest Night, Part 1
In Blackest Night, Part 1
The Enemy Below, Part 1
The Enemy Below, Part 2 (Commentary by Bruce Timm, James Tucker, Glen Murakami, Rich Fogel and Dan Riba)
The Brave and the Bold, Part 1
The Brave and the Bold, Part 2
Fury, Part 1
Fury, Part 2
Legends, Part 1
Legends, Part 2 (Commentary by Bruce Timm, James Tucker, Glen Murakami, Rich Fogel and Dan Riba)
Injustice For All, Part 1
Injustice For All, Part 2
Paradise Lost, Part 1
Paradise Lost, Part 2
War World, Part 1
War World, Part 2
A Knight with Shadows, Part 1
A Knight with Shadows, Part 2
Metamorphosis, Part 1
Metamorphosis, Part 2
The Savage Time, Part 1
The Savage Time, Part 2 (Commentary by Bruce Timm, James Tucker, Glen Murakami, Rich Fogel and Dan Riba)
The Savage Time, Part 3

Extras: Commentary on Select Episodes, Inside Justice League - Creator's Panel Discussion, Storyboards, The Look of the League, Justice League - The First Mission (Never Before Seen Promo)
Specifications: Full Screen, English Dolby Surround Stereo
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 3/21/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
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We'll give Justice League: Season 1 an A.